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B.
4 Feb. 1883
in
Brynteci
,
Llandyfrydog
,
Anglesey
, son of
John
and
JudithGriffith
. He
worked on his father's farm
until he was 18 years old when he went to the school kept by
CynffigDavies
in
Menai Bridge
, to prepare himself for the ministry. He was accepted as a candidate for the ministry by the
Anglesey Presbytery
in
1903
. He was educated in the
University College Bangor
(where he graduated in philosophy), and in the
Theological College
at
Bala
(where he graduated in theology). He also went for a period (
1909
) to
Jesus College
,
Oxford
. He was ord. in
1911
, and ministered in
Bryn-du
,
Anglesey
(
1910-13
),
Douglas Rd.
,
Liverpool
(
1913-23
),
Tabernacl
,
Porthmadog
(
1923-29
), and
Tabernacl
,
Bangor
(
1929-46
). He m.,
1914
,
GraceRoberts
, of
Dwyran
,
Anglesey
; they had three sons and a daughter. After retiring he lived in
Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll
. He d.
2 Feb. 1967
in his son's home,
Huw WynneGriffith
, a
minister (Presb.)
in
Aberystwyth
, and was buried in
Dwyran
chapel graveyard,
Anglesey
.

He was an elegant and powerful
preacher
in his day, and became one of the leaders of his denomination. He was
Moderator
of the
Association in the North
(
1952
), and of the
General Assembly
(
1959
). He delivered the
Davies Lecture
in
1942
, which was published in
1946
under the title
Datblygiad a Datguddiad
. He was
chief editor
of
Y Cyfarwyddwr
(
1929-30
), and an
assistant editor
of the same journal
1931-44
. He was also
editor
of
Y Goleuad
(
1949-57
). He
was
secretary
of the committee which prepared the Welsh ‘
short confession of faith
’, and the book of services,
Llyfr gwasanaeth
(
1958
). He was a member of the committee for the new
Welsh
translation of the
Bible
, and of the
Council and Court of governors of the University College
,
Bangor
. He contributed articles to
Y Geiriadur Beiblaidd
(
1926
), and to
The Dictionary of Welsh Biography
. He published two novels,
Helynt Coed y Gell
(
1928
) and
Helynt Ynys Gain
(
1939
), and a number of other books:
Paul y cenhadwr
(
1925
),
Rhai o gymeriadau'r Hen Destament
(
1927
),
Y Groes
(
1943
),
The Wonderful Life
(
1941
),
Ffynnon Bethlehem
(
1948
), and a biography of
HelenRowlands1961
. During his last years he
composed and translated many hymns
, and published a collection of them,
Odlau'r Efengyl
, in
1959
. Chapters of his autobiography appeared in
Y Goleuad
, and during the year of his death they were published under the title
Cofio'r blynyddoedd
. Despite all this activity his compositions as a
preacher
and
author
were always polished.